...George Orwell is not only a major figure
in twentieth -century literature but, more than fifty years
after his death, he remains a best-selling author. Much of his
work is still in print. In 1984 there were more than thirty new editions
or reissues of his most famous novel, Nineteen Eighty Four,
in at least sixteen languages.

From the early 1930s until his death
in January 1950 Orwell earned an income as a novelist, editor,
essayist, journalist, reviewer and broadcaster. He wrote novels,
essays, contemporary social history, reviews, and even poetry.
Eric Blair's and, later, George Orwell's writing life ranged from
unpublished letters to his mother from his Eastbourne boarding school
in 1911, to his first publication in 1914- a stirring, poetic call to
arms, 'Awake! Young Men of England', to essays anthologised and eulogised
a thousand times, such as 'Politics and the English Language', 'Shooting
an Elephant', and 'The Prevention of Literature', to his best-known works,
Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, the novel
he completed as he was dying. His words have become part of the English
language -'Newspeak'; 'Big Brother is watching you'; 'All animals are
equal, but some animals are more equal than others'. In 1946 Orwell wrote
that 'the English language is in a bad way', and that, 'Probably it is
better to put off using words as long as possible.' He offered a set
of maxims on word use, though concluding, 'Break any of these rules
sooner than say anything outright barbarous'. Orwell cared passionately
about his writing and taught himself to write well.

Chronology and introduction taken
from "George Orwell - A Bibliography", by Gillian Fenwick

Picture taken from "George Orwell: Life
& Works", by Nigel Flynn,
original is in the collection of the University College London